QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR 2013 NCSB CONFERENCE San Antonio, October 10-12, at the Historic Menger Hotel

Travel Options to San Antonio To San Antonio by air: • San Antonio International Airport is about eight miles from downtown San Antonio or a 20-minute taxi ride. • Ground transportation is located curbside in front of Terminal A and B baggage claim area. Uniformed transportation agents (wearing red shirts) can describe services and provide estimated rates to various destinations. Ground transportation to the Historic Menger Hotel includes: o Car Rentals o Taxi Cabs Approximate fares, not including tips, to the downtown business district from the airport range from $24 - $26. Visit http://www.visitsanantonio.com/visitors/plan/getting-around/taxi--limousine- service/index.aspx for a complete list of taxi services
YELLOW CAB (210) 222-2222 www.yellowcabsa.com
ARMADILLO CAB (210) 444-2222 o Shuttle Service GO Airport Shuttle is available 7:00 a.m to 1:30 a.m. daily. Fare is $18 one-way, $36 roundtrip. http://www.citytoursinc.com/airport-shuttle • For additional ground transportation information, please call (210)-207-3465. Find San Antonio International Airport flight information, transit services provided, flight time and mileage at http://www.sanantonio.gov/sat, or call (210)207-3411 for more information. To San Antonio by train: • San Antonio Rail Information: Amtrak Texas Eagle http://www.texaseagle.com/ www.amtrak.com 224 Hoefgen 78205 210-223-3226 Individuals: 1-800-872-7245 Group Reservations: 1-800-872-1477 To San Antonio by car: Major Highways Leading to San Antonio Interstate 10 - To El Paso, Houston Interstate 35 - To Laredo, Austin, Dallas Interstate 37 - To Corpus Christi Interstate 410 - Also called Loop 410 U.S. Highway 87 U.S. Highway 90 U.S. Highway 281

Travel Options while in San Antonio

Getting Around the City: • MASS TRANSIT: San Antonio's bus system has routes that cover over 1200 square miles. Plan your trip using their website: http://www.viainfo.net/Ride/Default.aspx or contact Via Metropolitan Transit http://www.viainfo.net/Contact/ContactMain.aspx o SIGHTSEER BUS : (Bus 7) runs daily between the city's favorite sites. You can see them all for one price. Locations visited by the Sightseer Special include: River Walk Streetcar Station, Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Alamo, San Antonio Museum of Art, Japanese Tea Garden, Brackenridge Park, San Antonio Zoo, Trinity University, University of the Incarnate Word, Witte Museum and San Antonio Botanical Garden. • TAXI: Two to six people can ride in a taxi for the price of one. • STREETCAR : Downtown travel is a breeze on the streetcar, an authentic reproduction of a rail streetcar which traveled the streets of San Antonio more than 50 years ago. Four streetcar routes stop at top sights like the Alamo, the Spanish Governor's Palace, La Villita, Sunset Station, the Southwest School of Art, the Institute of Texan Cultures, the King William Historic District and downtown shopping. The downtown streetcar station at Convention Plaza provides convenient access for travelers. Order a streetcar pass onlineat http://stores.viaonlinestore.net/StoreFront.bok • RIVER TAXI: The River Taxi stops at 39 locations along the River Walk. Purchase tickets from the operator. Look for the river cruiser with the black and yellow checkered flag. The Historic Menger Hotel 204 Alamo Plaza San Antonio, TX 78205 (210)223-4361 Step into the exquisite three-story Victorian lobby of the Menger Hotel, and you’ll be transported to a time of frontier history and legend. Built in 1859 on the site of Texas’ first brewery, the Menger was considered “the finest hotel west of the Mississippi” and ushered in a new era of sophistication to the Texas frontier. The famed Menger Bar is a reproduction of the House of Lords Pub in London. More than 150 years of refinements have created a masterpiece of traditional elegance that offers modern amenities such as free wireless high speed Internet..

Directions from the Airport: Leaving the airport, follow the signs to 281 South (also I-37) to downtown San Antonio. It is approximately 15-20 minutes depending on traffic. Entering the downtown area, take the exit marked Houston St/The Alamo. Go right on Houston St. to Bonham (2 signals), turn left on Bonham. • Direct Phone: 210-428-6542 or 866-337-7816 • Reservation Office Fax: 210-223-1328 (Sales Office)

Parking: • The Menger Hotel offers valet parking only with in/out privileges for a $28 daily fee. • Downtown: San Antonio's urban core is very compact and you can walk to dozens of restaurants and shops, both on the street and along the River Walk.

San Antonio Weather - October Sunrise Sunset Avg.High Avg.Low Mean 7:34 AM 7:07 PM 83°F 61°F 72°F

Conference Dress Dress comfortably in casual clothes with shoes appropriate for walking during breaks. As with any conference, be prepared for variable meeting room temperatures by dressing “in layers”. And, an umbrella may be needed!

Popular Attractions in San Antonio • The Alamo The 300-year-old Mission San Antonio de Valero was the site of a pinnacle battle during the Texas Revolution in March of 1836. Here, 189 Texas defenders held off Mexican General Santa Anna's 4,000 soldiers for thirteen days. • River Walk In the city center, the River Walk, or Paseo del Rio, is made up of cobbled walkways, bridges, cafés, shops, restaurants and bars along the river’s edge. Its three miles of pathways are a full level below city streets, creating the ambiance of a secluded oasis. • San Antonio MissionsNational Historic Park Comprised of four out of five San Antonio missions: missions Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada. Travel from mission to mission on the eight-mile Missions Bike and Hike Trail. • La Villita As San Antonio's first neighborhood, La Villita, "the little village," was originally established by Spanish soldiers stationed at the Alamo. Today it is a historic arts village that houses shops, art galleries and restaurants in Spanish, Mexican, German, and French-influenced residences. http://lavillita.com/ • SeaWorld San Antonio At 250 acres, it’s the largest marine life adventure park in the world. Take in a show with trainers and animals at Shamu Stadium, then set off to explore one of the four individual parks. The Great White is Texas’ first inverted steel roller-coaster; the Steel Eel treats riders to bouts of weightlessness; and the Lost Lagoon, the Texas Splashdown and the Rio Loco offer ways to get wet, from wave pools to slides and flumes. http://seaworldparks.com/seaworld-sanantonio/ • Six Flags Fiesta Texas With eight roller coasters and many more titillating rides, Six Flags Fiesta Texas is an adventure for the entire family. The Fiesta Bay Boardwalk, a 1950s boardwalk with a 90-foot Ferris wheel, is worth a visit even if you’re not that into coasters. And with an ensemble of award-winning shows and a layout that embodies the many cultures of Texas, Fiesta Texas is a must experience for any trip to San Antonio. • Tower of the Americas Here’s where to go for a panoramic view of San Antonio from 750 feet. Built for the 1968 World’s Fair, the tower recently underwent a series of renovations to the observation deck and rotating restaurant at the top; the latter now features upscale dining and a sophisticated bar area. A glass elevator will take you up to the Flags Over Texas observatory, with heart-stopping views all the way. Also brand-new is the Skies Over Texas 4-D ride, a swooping, spectacular tour of life in the Lone Star State. • San Antonio Zoo The third largest zoo in the U.S., the San Antonio Zoo is one of the oldest as well. A collection of animals was assembled in San Pedro Park in the 1800s. more animals were added in 1914. Today, more than 3,500 animals reside at the zoo, representing 600 special of animals on 56 acres. Forget lions, tigers and bears (oh my! They’re here too) – when’s the last time you’ve been up close with a fossa or a white-faced saki? • San Antonio Museum of Art Its 30,000-square-foot Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art, houses the most comprehensive collection of Latin American art in the country. Its collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, European and American paintings, and Asian and contemporary art is the most extensive in the region. Events include tea ceremonies and meditation workshops. Plus, it’s housed in the turn-of-the-century building that once was the Lone Star Brewery. How cool is that? • Buckhorn Saloon & Museum This 120-year-old saloon is a repository for real-deal cowboy and Old West history, as well as a strange but extensive horn, fin and feather collection. You used to be able to trade a deer antler (or horn, fin or feather) for a shot; now only U.S. dollars will do.